Most people think Christian leadership means to be a servant. (Matthew 20:26-28) Others think Christian leadership means to be a steward, like a businessperson. (I Peter 4:10) The Bible presents a shepherd as a leader. (I Peter 5:2) However, the integration of the essentials of all three makes an effective Christian leader.
Biblical models:
There are several biblical metaphors: Servants, Stewards, Shepherds, Slaves, Sportspersons, Soldiers, Sowers, Spiritual examples, Spokespersons, and Scholars. There are examples in the Bible that display some of the qualities of the imagery. Lord Jesus could be an ultimate example of portraying all the essentials of the metaphors. The three prominent that need to be understood are Servant, Steward, and Shepherd.
A case study:
A leader finds the boy who cleans up the office has not arrived. Because there was an important meeting, he cleaned it up and prepared for the meeting. He was not conscious of his official status but was willing to work as a servant. This happened not once but several times. Then he discussed it with the office manager. The boy was given warnings, a suspension order, and then dismissed from the job. Later, the boy was called by the leader, who explained to him his weakness and foolishness and also arranged a job in another organization.
Three roles:
In this, the leaders play three roles. First, being willing to do the menial job and getting it done if it is necessary is the attitude of being a servant. Second, the boy did not change, hence he was admonished, punished, and dismissed from the service. The leader was a steward. Third, after this happened, the leader called him, coached him, and got him a job that would suit his capacity and time. The leader was a shepherd.
Integrated model:
The metaphors portray some essentials of leadership and should not over-emphasize just one model. There are some misunderstandings: A leader should always be a servant or A leader should always be a steward. A godly, effective, and dynamic leader combines the best of all metaphors.
Am I a servant, a steward, and a shepherd?